This guide is for you if you are staying in Cagliari, or arriving there by ship, and want the city and the south coast in one day: the Castello quarter, the flamingos at Molentargius, the ruins of Nora and a swim at Chia. It covers what to plan before you book: the season for the birds, a festival that takes over the coast road in May, the rules at Nora, what to bring for the beach, and who the day suits.
When to go
The day changes character with the season more than with the weather. Three things are worth checking against your dates.
The flamingos. They feed at Molentargius for much of the year, in larger numbers in spring and autumn. Spring is also when they nest: the colony can start settling as early as March, and thousands of pairs nest on the Bellarosa Maggiore pond on the Cagliari side of the park. If birds are part of the reason you are coming, those weeks are the time.
The feast of Sant'Efisio. Cagliari has celebrated it every year since 1657, and it follows the same road west to Nora as this tour. On 1 May a procession of thousands of people in traditional dress, with horsemen, leaves the Stampace quarter and walks the saint west along the coast. It reaches Nora, the place of his martyrdom, on the evening of 2 May, and returns to Cagliari on 4 May. On those days the city and the coast road are full, and Nora is the centre of it. If your date falls between 1 and 4 May, tell us: you may want to spend the morning watching the procession rather than driving past it.
Summer and the rest of the year. Chia is a summer beach. Outside the season it has few facilities, so bring what you need. In summer it is the busiest stop of the day, which is one reason the city comes first, early.
How the day fits together
Eight hours, from 07:00 at your hotel to about 15:00. The morning is the city: two hours in the walled Castello quarter on its hill, then Poetto beach and the salt pans of Molentargius behind it. From there the road goes west along the coast to Nora, with lunch on the way, and Chia takes the early afternoon.
Entrance to Nora, lunch and beach services are not included. In Italy, guiding inside archaeological sites is reserved for licensed guides. Your driver takes you to the entrance, and we can book a guide to meet you there.
The order is yours to change. If you would rather swim in the morning while the beach is quiet and see the city later, or skip the salt pans and have longer at Chia, say so on the day.
What you are looking at
Molentargius
The park covers about 1,600 hectares between Cagliari and Quartu Sant'Elena, with Poetto beach along its edge. Paths through its green areas are free and open every day. There is a hide on the embankment of the Bellarosa Maggiore, where the flamingos nest. Other birds use the salt pans too: little egrets, black-winged stilts, several kinds of duck and, if you are lucky, the purple swamphen. Binoculars help, and they let you watch without disturbing anything.
Nora
Phoenicians founded Nora on a headland near Pula in the eighth or seventh century BC. What you walk through today is mostly the Roman town that grew on top of it: a theatre from the start of the first century BC, baths with floor mosaics, a forum near the sea and streets paved in stone. It was abandoned in the eighth century AD after repeated raids from the sea. The Nora Stone, found here, carries the oldest known written form of the name Sardinia.
Two practical points. You may not walk on the walls or the mosaics. And swimwear is not allowed inside the site, so do not change for the beach until after Nora. The site has a free audio-guide app, Norapp, which you can download before you go, and it has facilities for visitors with access needs. Hours and tickets are set by the foundation that runs the site; check its official site before you go.
Chia
Chia is a string of beaches, with a Spanish watchtower on the headland between two of them. The one most people mean is Su Giudeu: fine pale sand, dunes up to about 20 metres covered in old juniper, and shallow water for tens of metres out, which makes it easy for small children. At low tide you can walk out to the rocky islet about 100 metres offshore without swimming. Behind the beach is the Spartivento lagoon, where flamingos feed as well, so you may see them twice in one day. Part of the beach has sunbeds and parasols for hire in season, and part is free.
Your own car, or a driver
You can do this day with a hire car. What you take on is the planning and the parking: in the old town, at the beach in summer, and at the archaeological site.
The private day takes that away. You are collected at your door, fuel, tolls and parking are included, and the driver waits while you swim. The price depends on the size of your group; see it on the tour page.
What to book and what to bring
- A swimsuit and a towel. Chia is there for a swim. Keep the swimsuit in your bag until after Nora.
- Comfortable shoes for the hill up to the Castello quarter and the walk round Nora.
- Binoculars if you want a proper look at the flamingos.
- The Norapp audio guide, downloaded at the hotel.
- Water, sun protection and a card or some cash for lunch, Nora and any beach services.
And leave the beach on the beach. Sardinian regional law bans taking sand, pebbles or shells, even in small amounts.
Who it suits, and who should think twice
It suits families and couples who want the city and the sea in one day, and cruise passengers with a full day in port. We collect from the cruise port in Cagliari; message us with the ship and the date.
- You want prehistory more than the Romans. Su Nuraxi at Barumini, a Bronze Age fortress and World Heritage site, is about an hour inland and makes a different day.
- You are staying in the north-east. Our Costa Smeralda and Gallura tour starts from Olbia, and our guide to private tours in Sardinia helps you choose.
- You are more than 16. Two vehicles travel together on one booking.
Questions people ask
Will we definitely see flamingos?
They are at Molentargius for most of the year, and you may see more at the Spartivento lagoon behind Chia. Numbers are highest in spring and autumn.
What if we change our plans?
Cancel up to 24 hours before pick-up and you are refunded in full. See our cancellation page.
Booking the day
Check your dates against the flamingo season and Sant'Efisio, pack the swimsuit for after Nora, and tell us if you want a guide at the site. The stops, the times and what is included are on the Cagliari and South Sardinia private day tour page, where you choose the size of your group and book.
